Decorative wiring



y 0, 1930. E. P. SEGHERS 1,758,982

DECORATIVE WIRING Filed July 14, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 20, 1930. E. P. SEGHERS 1,758,982

DECORATIVE WIRING Filed July 14, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ply Wires Wl Patented May 20, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT err-ice EMZEL O1 GHICAGO, ILLINOIS DEGORATIVE WIRING Application filed July M,

This invention relates to of Wires for supplying current to electric lights in series and has for one of its objects the provision of an arrangement of the supiich shall permit convenient disposal of the Wires and lights for decorative purposes, and which shall adopt itself to extension by the addition c any number of sets of lights Within the carrying capacity of the the arrangement supply Wires A further object is to conveniently discovering e series.

Other objects and eclvs from the following clesci' The invention i nation encl provide means for defective light in will appear s Wires iv 1 zrslitv or lights e e connecting plugs cting the wires to e source of current and to on extens on of lights;

2 is a, centml sectional viewer lie-"ht socket shoiving'one construction for oerecting s defective bub;

connections for the present inven t r of such bulbs in series, oeing commonly usctl trio light circuit.

ice to place a numbe ight bulbs in series or' the ordinary elec ranged in series '5 1326. Serial No. 122,392.

more than eight bulbs are required for any particular decoration the various sets must be provided with some kind of parallel Ell-' rangcinent. If the various se s are run from :1 common multiple socket itis difiicult to (lis- 5b tribute the lights of the sets effectively illKl if spaced sockets are usecl so as to bring the sets into different positions, additional wiring is required to supply the sockets. The

present invention provides an arrangement by which any number of lights may be orrangccl to branch from spzicecl positions along a continuous supply line and it is on ecossary to run one supply circuit the mes tree or other ch c-ct to be illu The fact that all of the lights may be (h along a single continuous cable inches 3 sible to begin at the bottom or Christmas tree anal rvintl th continuously to the other on tree with the lights bra ching oh the entire tree. The arrangement to extension it being only necess uclclitionsl sections to the end or" L W a) lion until a, suz'ficient number of oiledbrunc' mg therefrom at spaced posi along the cable. A plug 10 for connei the electric light socket or other sou current supply is arranged at one enrl the main cable 11. This cable consists three insulated str ncls and is proviclecl at the entl opposire the plug 10 with a, socket conneotion with p 13 of second cable la r.

he light sockets 15 are connected by branches 1?) to the main cable 1 each branch coin ing two insulated strands. The thug ruin of he Wiring is shown in 3. Fhe to 7 cool 18 of the plug 10 are (.lirec ected, respectivel n by conductors l9 1 i l s with the terminals 21 and 22 of the soc-lie A conductor 28 connects the terminals 18 u 21 and has the electric light sockets l5 si ierein. The conductors 19 20 and 43 are carried together side by side to form the cable 11 shown in Fig. l, the conductor being made longer than the conductors 19 and 20 so that the branches 16 may be -looped about the conductors 19 and 20,.as indisposed at the outer portion of the Christ .lig ts.

mas tree while the cable 11 extends upwardly through the center of the tree. Any number of the conductors 23 may be connected between the terminals 18 and 21. In Fig. 1 a single series of lights is employed and a single conductor 23 is shown. In Fig. 3 two series of lights is shown for each pair of plugs and sockets and two conductors 23 are therefore employed. It will be readily apparent that the wiring circuits may be sold in sets, each comprising a plug and socket and a series of The purchaser may add to his lighting system by merely purchasing another set of lights and plugging it into the socket at the end ofthe last set. As shown in Fig. 1,

- the last branch 16 may be carried off adjacent the end plug 12, but it is apparent that this arrangement isnot essential but that the plug may be disposed any distance desired from the point where the last branch leaves the main cable.

Where a number of lights are placed in se'" ries it is apparent, of course, that if any light of the series burns out the entire series will be broken and all lights extinguished. In order to restore the series it is necessary to discover the defective light and replace it with a good one. This ordinarily requires separately replacing each light in the circuit until the defective one'is discovered. Even this method may not be effective if two or more lights are burned out at the same time. To overcome this difficulty the constructions shown in Figs. 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 have been devised. In the construction shown in Fig. 2 the insulating socket is provided with perforations 25 at the base of the socket in registration with the exposed portion of the wire connected with the terminals of the socket. By inserting a pin 26 or other instrument through the perforations 25 the pin will penetrate the strands of the wire, bridging the terminals of the socket. This may be done with a sharpened pin even though the insulation is intact over'the portion of the wire engaged with the pin for the pin will be passed directly through the insulation. The pin also passes between the strands of the wire since the wire is commonly made up of a series of fine strands. If the light so short circuited is the defective one the circuit will be restored and the other lights will become bright.

In Fig. 4 headed pins 27 penetrate the wires 28 which supply the light bulb, the pins being extended through the insulation and the stranded conductor and having exposed heads, the exposed heads being offset along the wires 28 relative to each other. When it 7 is desired to short circuit a particular bulb unwrapping of sulation is removed to determine whether or not it is burnt out the headed pins 27 are moved into registration to cause to contact. If the particular bulb so short circuited is the defective one the current will be restored and the otherlights of the circuit illuminated.

In Fig. 5 the ends of the wires 29 which enter the socket 30 are covered with thin metal caps 31, the ends of the caps being provided with small perforations for receiving the bare wire, but of too small a size to permit the passage of the insulation. These caps cover the end of the insulation and prevent the insulation. Pins 32 are inserted through small perforations in the socket 30 and are forced. through the thin metal caps3l into the insulation at the end of the wires 28 and into the stranded conductor. Springs 33 are secured to the socket 30 by a conductor band 34. Pressure on the springs 33 will contact with the heads of the pins 32 and short circuit the conductors through the conductor band 34.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 6 the infor a short distance from the conductors 35, the bare portions 36 of the conductors being disposed in registration with each other. The insulation will ordi-- narily prevent the bare portions from contacting, but the bulb may be circuited by inserting a metal member 37 between the conductors in position to bridge the bare portions. The insulation adjacent the bared portions 36 may be covered with parafline, glue or other material to prevent the severed edges from raveling.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 7 headed pins 38 similar to the pins 27 shown in Fig. 4 are inserted in the conductors but are arranged in registration with each other. The adjacent ends of the pins 38 are disposed inside of a short section of fiber tube 39 or other substantially rigid insulating material. A conductor member 40 may be inserted through the tube 39 to contact with the ends of the pins 38 and thus short circuit the bulb. The tube section 39 protects the exposed ends of the pins38 and prevents accidental contact between the adjacent heads of the pins.

The form of the invention shown in Figs. 8

and 9 is similar to that shown in Fig. 7, except that atube 41 of rubber or other resilient material is employed in place of the fiber tube 39 and is preferably arranged with its'axis parallel to the conductors. The rubber tube spreads the wires to prevent contact of the heads of the pins 43, but contact may be made by merely pressing inwardly on the outer ends of the pins; The entire device may be wound with tape 44 or otherwise covered with insulation to prevent contact with the outer ends of the pins 43.

In the form of bulb shown in Fig. 4 leads 45 extend from the leads that supply the filament and are sealed in the sidesof he bulb with the 4 are used the outer and provided with contacts 46 on the outer surface of the bulb. With this construction the bulb may be tested by placing ashort between the contacts 46 or between the contact that connects with the lead to the center of the plug and the fingers. shock will be felt, but if the filament is broken the volta e across the gap can be detected gers. Where pins like that shown at 27 in Fig. portions may be. protected by a coating of shellac or other insulating material.

I claim 1. An electric lighting system comprisin a duality of electric lights in series, each liit aving a-socketprovided with a perforat on therein topermit the insertionof ashort circiiitinmember for shunting said light. 2. in electric lighting system comprising a plurality of electric lights in series, each light having a socket provided with op sitely disposed registering. perforations thigrein, said perforations being arranged in alinement with the conductors entering said socket so that a short circuiting instrument inserted through said perforations will age said conductors and short circuit said lig t,

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this iggeceification-on this 12th day of July, A. D.

EMIEL P. SEGHERS,

the sleeve 47. The bulb ma also betested by feeling the'contacts 46 wit If the filament is in contact no 

